


Decreased Heartbeats and Hand Trembling Vibes

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Post Bartlett Administration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-03
Updated: 2006-09-03
Packaged: 2019-05-15 20:53:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Margaret paced CJ's office after staring out the window for an indeterminate amount of time.  The vibe was getting stronger and still no word from her boss.  Something huge was getting ready to happen and the assistant knew it was going to knock the wind out of her.





	Decreased Heartbeats and Hand Trembling Vibes

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

A ringing phone penetrated CJ’s consciousness. Reluctant to answer, she preferred to go back to sleep, hoping to prolong the dream where Leo had returned from the dead with an outrageous story of the CIA’s efforts to defeat Communist Cuba.

“CJ.” dream Leo whispered, caressing her cheek.

Damn that felt real, CJ thought. She was ready to return to her fantasy.

“Baby, your phone is ringing.”

“Shut up, I'm trying to sleep. It’s really not,” she assured him, annoyed with her subconscious for confusing dream and reality.

The Leo of her dreams laughed. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard, asleep or awake. A hand shook her shoulder, and this time she could not sleep through the distraction.

“What the hell, Danny? Leave me alone; I'm sleeping!”

“I’d be happy to let you sleep, baby, but I’m not Danny and your phone was definitely ringing.”

CJ sat straight up in bed, realizing she was topless too late to catch the sheet.

“Leo? Oh my God, you are here.” She wrapped her naked body in his embrace. He kissed her cheek and stroked her hair.

“Yeah, I am.”

Suddenly it all came back to her: the letter, going to the park with Charlie, kissing Leo in the kitchen, fighting with Danny, making love last night. It wasn’t a dream.

“Your phone, CJ?”

“It can wait.” She murmured.

“I want to agree but today is going to be a busy day.”

“Alright. You're right.”

She got out of bed and donned Leo’s shirt from the night before. Digging through her purse, she located her cell and punched in the code for voice mail.

“CJ, where are you?” Margaret’s frantic voice startled CJ. “I called the house and Danny was in no way pleasant…did he come home early? Did you two fight? I told you about that redheaded temper. Charlie asked me to push your eight o’clock to ten, but its 9:45 and I still haven’t heard from you. Call me please; I am getting that vibe, the one that makes my hands tremble.”

CJ kicked herself for not calling Margaret earlier. Just as she disconnected from the call, her phone beeped again.

WHERE ARE YOU? ARE YOU WITH HIM? CALL ME. CY

Dammit, Margaret must have talked to Charlie, which forced him to lie to the loyal assistant. He was not happy about that. She knew him well enough to hear the annoyance in his message. CJ started to look for her jeans and looked at Leo. Still lying in bed, still looking like he needed her legs wrapped around him.

“Have you packed for Manchester?” she asked.

“I’ve spent the past 10 months in 90 degree subtropical heat. I am not at all prepared for October in New Hampshire.”

CJ paused in her search for a sock, processing the problem and formulating a solution.

“We’ll use the layover in Chicago to buy some cold weather gear. I don’t need more than the jeans I have on.” She consciously avoided the subject of returning home right now. She felt it was an even worse idea after hearing Margaret’s message. For all she knew Danny had called everyone and told them Leo McGarry was a fraud. She didn’t think that was his style but she had also never broken his heart before.

Leo got out of bed, standing in front of her and placing his hands on her hips to still her frantic movements. His nudity distracted her more than his actual presence. The time in Cuba had been good for him. His color was healthy and apparently, he had done a lot of walking, because his legs and ass were much more toned than she remembered. She could not help put squeeze it. Yeah, he had definitely been working out.

“Did you work out in Cuba?”

“Why?” He grinned.

“You are so fucking sexy I almost can’t stand it.” She wrapped her arms around his torso and ground her hips into his morning erection. “I want you so much right now, but we need to see Margaret and Charlie.”

Leo sobered at the mention of Margaret. He loved her like a daughter and didn’t know how to face her hurt and disappointment. He had put her through so much over the years; more than anyone really knew. In return, he always got her loyalty, hard work and love. She was never going to forgive him.

“Yeah.” Leo moved away, knowing if she were within arms reach, he would cause them to be later than they were already. “Let me hop in the shower.”

Margaret paced CJ’s office after staring out the window for an indeterminate amount of time. The vibe was getting stronger and still no word from her boss. Something huge was getting ready to happen and the assistant knew it was going to knock the wind out of her. Charlie was not his usual self and he had lied to her. He did a bad job, which made her feel good; he had not lost his innate sweetness. Still, everyone was into something and she needed to know what so her heart could stop pounding in her ear.

“Something’s happening, Gail. Something tickled my brain yesterday, and I ignored it. I should know better than to ignore the tickle. The Hooper sixth sense is a legend at home, and it served me well during my tenure in Washington. The tickle should not be ignored.”

Finally sitting in a chair, Margaret calculated the odds of different possibilities. “Is CJ leaving the firm so shortly after establishing it? I doubt it. Is she ill? I can account for 98.5% of her time, so that doesn’t leave much room for clandestine doctor appointments. What else could be important enough for CJ to be late to work and call me in for an unscheduled meeting? Oh my God, she is getting a divorce. But the tickle is so strong…the divorce tickle is not this strong.”

Margaret looked at the goldfish, searching for answers. Gail stared back, making fish faces and providing no information. Charlie escorted her into CJ’s office over fifteen minutes ago. Margaret wondered how much longer her boss would be.

“I was so caught off guard by Charlie’s request that I left a cranberry walnut muffin on my desk,” she said to Gail. Maybe she could sneak out to get it before CJ arrived. “My desk is nineteen feet and around the corner from CJ’s door. I’m positive I could get there, retrieve my muffin, and be back before anyone notices.”

Silently nodding to the fish, Margaret opened the door, tiptoed toward her desk, turned the corner and stopped. Leo McGarry sat at her desk holding a framed portrait of Brian. Margaret could have cried just seeing the smile on his face, pride evident as he studied at her little boy.

“You missed his first steps.”

Leo looked up at his former assistant, startled by her unannounced presence.

“Margaret…”

Holding up her hand to silence him, Margaret shook her head. He knew that expression all too well.

“I felt you, Leo. I always expected to see you walk through the door or call my name. I never really believed you were gone. How could I tell anymore that with what they were going through? My heart knew Leo…it still beat 92 beats per minute. If you were gone, it would have changed. I cannot believe I am looking at you. WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN!”

Her calm about the situation disturbed him and he was unsure how to proceed. He had a plan on how to approach her and now it was shot to hell. What made him think he could plan anything where Margaret was concerned? Maybe he had been gone too long.

“May I have my muffin?” Margaret pointed to the baked good on the corner of her desk.

Leo handed it over.

“This was not my choice, Margaret. I will apologize for any pain I have caused, but you have to know I would not have done this voluntarily.”

“I know. Kate Harper was involved with this, wasn’t she? She was way too calm when they told us. She didn’t even comfort CJ; she just left the room like she had an important phone call. She avoided me like the plague, though I cannot remember if she always did or if it was only after you died. Do you remember?”

“No. Kate was not involved, but her ex-husband was. Why do you think Kate had anything to do with it?”

“She’s a strange one. I got a funny feeling from her.”

Leo nodded, taking her ‘funny feeling’ seriously. He had experience with this.

“The CIA put me into a coma Margaret.”

“Oh my God,” she gasped, the worry creasing her brow. “Are you okay?”

Leo smiled, partially to reassure her and partially grateful for her concern. He had a feeling that she would be the most sympathetic of all the people he had to tell.

“I felt pretty strange a few days after I woke up, but I’m fine now.”

Margaret settled into the guest chair, munching on her muffin. This would be a long story.

“Where did they take you?”

“Cuba. Castro was really dying this time and we needed to form a democracy, with his blessing.”

“No really, where did they take you?”

“Cuba. In a few days, the announcement will be made that Fidel Castro has passed and Cuba is now a democratic state. All sanctions should be lifted by the end of the year.”

“Toby will be happy to have Cuban cigars.” Margaret replied.

“Yeah. Are you alright?”

“I'm really glad to see you. I hated the thought of leaving you in Washington, so to speak. Wait a minute, are you…”

CJ and Charlie came rushing into the room and they just froze.

“Surprise.” Leo said.

“Margaret, I…” CJ couldn’t think of anything to say.

“I knew he wasn’t dead.” She said. “I already knew.”

“Well, that makes one of us.” Charlie muttered. “Are you OK?”

“Yeah.” The assistant nodded. “We should celebrate; let’s have breakfast out.”

“Excellent idea.” CJ said.

“I have work to do.” Charlie said. “There were meetings that can't be canceled and I figured CJ would be otherwise engaged.”

“Charlie, it can wait.”

“No. he’s not the only one trying to save the world.”

“Charlie…”

Leo stood but the young man just turned and walked out of the room. CJ tried to take his hand but Charlie just shook his head.

“He’s pissed at you.” Margaret said. “He has every right to be.”

“I know. C’mon girls, let’s get some food.”

Leo grabbed Margaret’s coat and helped her into it. CJ still had hers on her arm. Luckily, she always kept an extra one at the office. Another one of Margaret’s rules. She didn’t know what she would do without the over efficient redhead.

“So, my instinct on you and Danny getting a divorce was right.” Margaret said in the elevator.

CJ could not help but smirk.

“Margaret, it’s a long story. We’ll talk later I promise.”

“There will be a lot of talking in the near future. I guess you guys are off to Manchester soon.”

“Later today.” Leo said.

“When are you going to see Mallory and Jenny?”

“Soon. I have to go back to DC to finish this.”

“You can't stay there.” The redhead said. “You need to be here with us.”

Leo smiled, taking both of their hands.

“Nothing is going to keep me from it. Did your heart rate really not decrease a beat?”

Leo listened with a new love and respect as Margaret went into another one of her stories and decided he would always listen to her. He never knew how much he missed her until she wasn’t there. Now if he could only stop worrying that everyone but she and CJ were going to hate him and curse his name he might be able to settle down enough to eat something.

****


End file.
